Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



F. WESSON & c. N. 01mm. BREECH-LOADINGFIRE-ARM.

No. 193,060, I Pate nped J'u1y10,1877.

dines-sea NIPE'TERS, PHOTO-LITHOGEAPHER, WASHINGTON. D, O.

breech-receiver ,by screwing it therein.

the cartridge-chamber.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcn FRANKLIN WESSON AND CHARLES N. oUTTEn, or woRcEsTER, MASS.,

ASSIGNORS TO SAID wEssoN.

IMPROVEMENT IN BR EECH-LO ADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 193,060, dated July 10, 1877; application filed May 7,1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANKLIN WESSON and UHARLES N. CUTTER, both of Worcester,

in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Fire- Arms, of which the following is a description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

The invention consists in a combination, with a side hammer, of a transverse lever in the breechblock, and a'direct-acting center firing-pin, the whole being arranged so that the side hammer, in firing, will act through the interposition of the transverse lever on the center firing-pin, thereby doing away with the disadvantages which accrue to an oblique firing-pin, as heretofore used in fire-arms, having their hammers arranged on one side of the breech-piece; also, whereby the force of the blow of the hammer is increased, thus admitting of a less powerful mainspring being used. The invention likewise consists in a novel mode or means of fitting to its place the cartridge-ejector, whereby the latter maybe readily entered and removed as required, also securely retained in position, and facility is afforded for attaching the barrel to the Figure 1 represents a mainly sectional side view of a breech-loading fire-arm having our invention applied. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line was; and Fig. 4 a rear view of the breech-block, with its "attached transverse lever for operating the firing-pin.

A is the hammer arranged on one side of the breech-receiver B. O is the breech-block, which is constructed to slide up and down within the breech-receiver to open and close the breech as required. D is the lever by which said breech-block is operated, said lever, which is pivoted at b, being connected with the breech-block by a link, d. E is the barrel of the arm, the rear end of which forms The cartridges f are inserted within, and when exploded ejected from said chamber in a straight direction through a groove in the breech-receiver when the breech-block is lowered for the purpose.

. Fig. represents, by full lines, the breechblock as raised to close the breech, and, by dotted lines, as lowered to open the breech.

G is a transverse lever in the rear end of keep said lever pressed back or out, but not so as to interfere with the operation of the breech-block. When the side hammer A is operated to explode the cartridge, it acts, either directly or through the interposition of a pin,.h, controlled by a spring, 2:, upon the transverse lever G, which in its turn, drives forward the center firing-pin f" against the action of its returning-spring g. By this combination of the transverse firing-lever with the side hammer, and direct-acting center firing-pin, the force of the blow of the hammer is increased by said lever, so that a less powerful mainspring, H, suffices to control the hammer. Also, by using a direct-acting center firing-pin that objectionable opening in the face ofthe breech which is incidental to an oblique firing-pin is prevented, and the liability of the primer to catch in the breech-block is obviated, there being no sharp angle formed by the passage through said block for the primer to catch against, such as is unavoidable when an oblique firing-pin is used.

I is the cartridge-ejector, which is in the form of a slide or bar fitted to enter a longitudinal recess, m, in the under side of the barrel, and constructed with a rear turned-up lip, n, corresponding with the back end of the barrel, which receives the flange or head of the cartridge, said lip, which forms the acting portion of the ejector, fitting within a recess in the-rear. end of the barrel, when said ejector occupies its forward position. To provide for the entry or removal and retention in its working position of the ejector I, the breech-receiver B has a longitudinal groove, 1', within it, back of the ejector, and within this groove a gib, J, is inserted. This gib, which, when in place, holds up the ejector to its working position, is secured or locked by a screw, 8, entered from the under side of the breech-receiver. This forms a very siinple and efficient mode of fitting the ejector, and

admits of the barrel E being screwed at its rear end into the breech-receiver, as shown in Fig. 1.

The ejector I, which projects through the front of the breech-receiver, is operated to expel the exploded cartridge by means of a spur,

'v, on the breech-blockoperating'lever D, said' 1. The vertically-sliding breech-block 0, provided with the independent spring center firing-pin f incombination' with the lever G arranged in a diagonal recess in the back end of the breech-block, and pivoted at its lower end'to the breech-block, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the cartridgeejector I, fitted within a longitudinal groove in the breech-receiver B, of the removable gib J fitting in a groove, r, iii the breech-receiver, to provide for holding the ejector in place, while at the same time both can be readily removed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

FRANKLIN WESSON. CHARLES N. CUTTER. Witnesses:

H. U PARKER,

D. LEARY. 

